What Nurses Are Looking For In Their Next Employer

Nursing is a constantly evolving, exciting, and challenging field. Finding the perfect employer that can provide the support you’ll need and who will optimize your potential is important in advancing your career.

With the fast changes in health care technology, patient trends, and budget challenges; along with the constant advances in biomedicine, nurses these days find themselves with many issues to take into consideration when searching for the right employer. In this environment, it’s very important to follow a specific set of steps that can ensure your success.

Recently the AACN published a paper that contains things to consider when searching for the perfect nursing employer.

Some of the things to look for:

Clinical care that focuses on accountability, safety, quality, and collaboration.

Does the Mission statement of the organization consistent with its philosophy?

How much input is the nursing staff allowed to have in the development of policies and procedures?

What are patient to staff ratio for nursing? How are they determined?

Do the governing bodies, that represent nursing, oversee the operations and policies?

Do they have a quality improvement program in place? What does the program include?

What is the turnover rate for the staff?

Are the nurses recognized for their contributions or expertise and knowledge?

How are the nurses recognized for their professional achievements and advanced educations?

Are the nurses, along with their credentials, identified in all venues?

In the organization’s marketing efforts; how involved are the nurses?

Are the nurses encouraged to be trainers and mentors?

Are nurses encouraged to step into leadership roles?

What roles do the nurses play in the leadership?

Do the nurse executives receive the proper support?

These are just some of the questions that you should look into when you are seeking out a new employer. The world of nursing is often overwhelming and exciting all at once. It is essential for both your professional success and personal satisfaction that you find an employer that can support you as you grow into your career. If you’re looking for the perfect match for you in your professional nursing career, you should smile, put your best foot forward, and ask those great key questions and more. This will lead you to the best possible places.